REGISTRATION FEES
Registration closes 7 days before a class or workshop starts. All payments are final and nonrefundable after the registration deadline.

In the event that a class or workshop must be canceled due to instructor illness, low registration, or inclement weather and cannot be rescheduled, registered students are eligible for a full refund of the registration fee. In these instances, when the class has already begun, the refunded amount will be pro-rated.

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SUPPLY FEES
Supply fees are refundable ONLY IF supplies have not yet been received by the student. Once supplies have been given to the student, the supply fee is nonrefundable.

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COVID-19
The Arts Center in Orange does not offer refunds of registration fees due to student cancelation less than 7 days before the first day of class. However, if you must quarantine or isolate due to COVID-19 and are enrolled in a class, we are happy to support you. If a class must be canceled due to teacher illness, quarantine, or isolation, The Arts Center will offer pro-rated refunds to enrolled students for the canceled class(es). If a student is forced to miss a class session or leave a class early due to their own quarantine or isolation per our COVID-19 Safety Policies (see section below), they will not be eligible for a refund for classes missed. However, if we receive notice 7 days or more in advance that they will need to drop a class in its entirety due to quarantine or isolation, they will be eligible for a full refund.

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Students are required to respect equipment, employees, teachers, and their fellow students at all times when participating in our classes. Failure to respect this policy will result in removal from the class and no refunds.

Art is more than just brushes on paper! Some classes will be for specific age groups, largely due to the materials or tools used. To ensure the safety of our teachers and students, please take note of any age restrictions when signing up.

If there is an adult class that you would like your child/teen to attend, please contact us directly. In many cases, youth are permitted in an adult class if their parent/guardian is also in the class and willing to help them succeed in learning a new creative skill!

In attending events, workshops, and classes at The Arts Center in Orange, you may be photographed. The Arts Center in Orange may use these photographs for fundraising and promotion.

All students and associated non-participating visitor(s) assume all responsibilities for and risks and hazards of participation in the named program or visitation and agree to release from liability and hold harmless The Arts Center in Orange, Inc. and/or its visitors, studio members, technicians, contractors, instructors, and affiliated organizations for all loss, damage, or injury that may occur therein, whether caused by the negligence of releasees or otherwise. The preclusive effect of this liability-release agreement applies equally to the releasors’ families, friends, heirs, and assignss

The Arts Center in Orange, Inc. is not responsible for damage or loss of materials stored on the premises.

Items left behind after a student or member is no longer enrolled in either a class or open studio may be discarded or destroyed. Please take care to collect your belongings at the end of each session.

Students are required to follow all posted studio rules. All studios and workspaces must be left in good, or better, condition than you found it.

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FACILITY USE
Lockers and storage shelves are available on a first-come, first-served basis to currently registered students.

Caustic or dangerous chemicals are not allowed.

Keep your storage space clean and free of dust.

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WORKING WITH ART MATERIALS
The materials and tools used in the our studios are safe if handled correctly. However, exposure to any material through the lungs, mouth or skin can be harmful. Clay and glaze dust are the most common hazards in our studios. In addition, many metal oxides and metal compounds used in glazes are toxic in their raw forms.

All students must take precautions to avoid lung damage. Wear a respirator and gloves if you mix glazes, stains, or oxides.

If you must sand or scrape bone-dry clay or glaze, do so outside and wear a particle mask.

Wear a particle mask when working with chemicals.

Wear gloves when handling raw glaze materials and washes. Many of these materials contain heavy metals such as copper, cobalt, and manganese.

Do not pour excess glaze, plaster, slip, or rinse water down the drains in the Drawing Studio or the restrooms! They are pollutants and could cause drainage problems.

Any use of plaster should be monitored by the instructor or a trained staff member. Only dedicated containers may be used.

Your instructor or Arts Center staff can advise where to safely dispose of glaze water, plaster, or other materials.

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EQUIPMENT
Kilns, wheels, and any other studio equipment are both delicate and potentially hazardous. Observe the following precautions to avoid accidents and injury:

No student or instructor is permitted to be in the designated kiln area for any reason. This section of the studio is for Staff Only.

Do not place anything on kiln lids. The lids are fragile and often very hot. They are not intended to be used as tables or storage areas.

Do not use the slab roller or extruder without having received instruction from an instructor or member of staff.

Turn all electric wheels to the “off” position after use. DO NOT move a wheel from forward to reverse before the motor has completely stopped moving; power off and switch to forward or reverse, then turn back on.

Position cords and foot pedals out of the way of foot traffic at all times.

When using studio equipment, long hair MUST be tied back; scarves and jewelry (including but not lmiited to rings, bracelets, and necklaces) must be removed.

GLAZES
All glazes provided by The Arts Center in Orange are food safe when applied correctly and fired properly.

If you have any questions about the quality or safety of any studio-provided glaze, please ask an instructor, monitor, or staff member.

Only those persons authorized by the Executive Director may mix chemicals to make glazes. All glazes made with any chemical that belongs to the studio must be available to all studio users. No raw chemicals or mixed glazes may be removed from the studio.

Anyone bringing glazes into the studio for their personal use, or use by others, must provide glaze information to the Studio Manager, and acquire the Studio Manager’s approval for the use of the glaze(s) in the studio.

Any person wishing to use glaze purchased from elsewhere must provide The Arts Center with accurate information about that glaze from the manufacturer and receive approval to use that glaze from the Studio Manager or Exective Director. Failure to use approved glazes may result in additional fees.

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KILNS AND FIRING
Every reasonable effort will be made to fire work, both bisque and glaze.

The Arts Center requires a two-week turnaround time for pick-up of final pieces after the last class session.

For every firing, each kiln will be as full of ware as possible. If a ware is left out of a firing due to space considerations, an effort will be made to ensure the ware is included in the next firing.

Anyone wishing to fire work in our kilns MUST leave an indelible identifying mark on their ware that will survive bisque and glaze firings, or their work will NOT be fired.

The firing sequence begins with the bisque firing (Cone 06). The bone-dry ware is to be placed on the shelves marked “ready for bisque”. The piece should be placed as deep on the bisque-ware shelf as possible, to leave room for other people’s work.

After the piece has been bisque fired, it will be placed on a bisque ware shelf. The student should glaze the piece as soon as possible or remove it from the premises until returning for glazing later.

After the piece has been glazed, it should be placed on the glazed ware shelves according to height and, again, as far back as possible, leaving room for other pieces. Glazed pieces will be loaded for the glaze firing (Cone 6) as soon as there are enough pieces for a firing.

After the final firing, all completed pieces should be removed from the studio as soon as possible.

Each studio user is responsible for their work. Unclaimed pieces cannot be held or stored indefinitely. Remaining pieces may be discarded, destroyed, or donated to The Arts Center in Orange.

The Arts Center in Orange, Inc. cannot be responsible for lost or unclaimed work nor for undesired or inconsistent results, kiln accidents, or work that is damaged.

Generally, only work produced at The Arts Center in Orange will be fired in the studio’s kilns. Only the Executive Director may allow the firing of work brought in from outside the studio. Approval for such a firing must include an assurance that the work is cone 6 clay.

Anyone requesting the firing of work made outside of the studio will be responsible for any damage to the kiln, kiln furniture, shelves, and equipment, and to other pieces, caused by the firing of that work.

STUDIO TIME, LOCKERS, AND SHELF SPACE FOR STUDENTS
CERAMICS: Ceramics students receive shelf space and a locker, plus complimentary studio time to complete their work, which can be used during Open Studio Hours. Students in 8-week classes will receive 8 additional hours, and students in 6-week classes will receive 6 additional hours. Any student who would like to purchase additional ceramics studio time may do so for $5/hour.

OTHER CLASSES (NON-CERAMICS): Students enrolled in any non-ceramics, multi-session fine art or craft class also have the option to use a locker to store their supplies, and have access to the classroom space during open studio hours. at no additional cost.

CERAMICS STUDIO TIME
For students who want to spend even more time in the ceramics studio, or anyone who would like to take advantage of open studio hours, the cost remains $10 for two hours, and $5 every hour after.

ADDITIONAL STORAGE
Non-students, or students who need additional space, can also rent lockers and/or shelf space at the following rates:

Locker: $5/month
Full shelf: $10/month
Half Shelf: $5/month

CLAY BY THE POUND
Standard 181 White Stoneware: $0.87/lb
Standard 112 Brown Clay with Specks: $0.66/lb
Standard 553 Buff Stoneware: $0.66/lb

FIRING FEES
Anyone purchases clay by the pound must pay to fire their pieces. Only clay purchased through The Arts Center in Orange will be fired in our kilns.

Bisque Cone 06 & Glaze Cone 6: $0.06/cubic inch

Bisque only Cone 06—à la carte: $0.03/cubic inch

Glaze only Cone 6—à la carte: $0.03/cubic inch

There is a minimum fee of $1. Firing fee includes access to studio glazes and underglazes.

The Arts Center in Orange reserves the right to modify or supplement these registration policies without notice. It is your responsibility, as a student, to review these policies prior to registering for a course.